Lockdown lifted at Stafford Springs schools

Three Stafford Springs schools were locked down after a bullet was found on a school bus.

STAFFORD SPRINGS, CT (WFSB) -

The lockdowns issued at three schools in Stafford Springs after a bullet was found on a school bus have been lifted, according to Connecticut State Police.

Around 8:30 a.m., state police said they received a call from the First Student School Bus Company in Stafford that a bullet was found by a bus driver who completed his runs and was conducting a final inspection of his bus.

State police immediately responded to the bus company as well at the high school, middle school, elementary school and St. Edward's School in Stafford.

The bullet was seized from the bus and all of the bus runs were documented as well as all of the students that would have been on board on Thursday morning.

State police troopers and a Connecticut State Police K-9 team went to all of the schools and conducted searches of each building. They also conducted interviews of all of the students on the bus at the time.

The student body at each of the schools were locked down as the searches were being conducted.

Parents were also notified of the unfolding situation via telephone messages.

While police searched, several parents waited in school parking lots.

"You can never take anything for granted and it's very scary," said parent Meredith Greene. "They're all inside and you hope all is OK."

Nothing was found during any of the searches and the lockdown was lifted by noon, state police said.

Some parents were angered by the discovery.

"You keep seeing these threats and things and I guess people want their fame," said unidentified parent.

A live, .22-caliber round was found at the Hazardville Memorial Elementary School Tuesday afternoon after the school day had ended. The Hazardville Memorial Elementary School was never placed in lockdown and no threat was ever issued.

"Where are these kids getting these bullets," asked parent Dawn Johnston of Stafford Springs. "If I had a gun in my house, it would be locked up. The gun and the bullets will be locked up and my kids would not know where the keys were. I just don't understand how kids are getting their hands on this stuff."

The incident at Stafford Springs remains under investigation and anyone with information about what took place is asked to call police.